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Privilège du blanc

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Queen Elena of Italy and Crown Princess Marie-José wearing white garments in the presence of Pope Pius XII at the Quirinal Palace on 27 December 1939.

The privilège du blanc (pronounced [lə pʁivilɛʒ dy blɑ̃]; "the privilege of white") is a custom of the Catholic Church that permits certain designated female royalty to wear white clothing (traditionally a white dress and white veil) during an audience with the pope.[1] It is an exception to the traditional requirement of women to wear black garments on formal occasions.

History

Protocol for papal audiences traditionally requires women to wear a black dress with sleeves and no cleavage, as well as a black mantilla or scarf for the head.[2][3]

Certain designated Catholic queens and princesses have nonetheless traditionally been exempted from wearing black garments. Those permitted to wear white garments include the Queen of Spain, the Queen of the Belgians, the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, the Princess of Monaco, and the princesses of the House of Savoy. The privilege is not used by the wives of all Catholic monarchs or by the Catholic wives of non-Catholic monarchs, such as Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, who is the Catholic wife of the Protestant King Willem-Alexander. Even though they are Catholics, it is not accorded to the Queen of Lesotho, the Princess of Liechtenstein,[4] the Afro-Bolivian Queen, nor the Māori Queen.[5]

List of eligibility

As of 2026, the following living royal women are eligible for the privilege:[6]

In recent years

Marina, Princess of Naples, wife of the former Head of the House of Savoy, Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, exercised the privilege on 18 May 2003 during a Catholic Mass marking the birthday of Pope John Paul II, of whom she had a private audience the day before.[7][8]

For the first time in Monégasque history on 12 January 2013, Charlene, Princess of Monaco, used the privilege in an audience with Pope Benedict XVI. The Holy See Press Office later issued a press release declaring the following:

"... in accordance with prescribed ceremonial of the Vatican for Catholic sovereigns, the princess [of Monaco] was allowed to dress in white."[9]

Charlene exercised the privilege once again on 18 January 2016 when visiting Pope Francis as part of an official state visit to the Vatican with her husband, Albert II, Prince of Monaco.[10]

List of occasions used

Among the occasions when the privilège du blanc has been exercised are:

Date Catholic Royalty Pontiff Occasion
2026 June 8 Queen Sofía of Spain Leo XIV State visit to Spain[11]
2026 June 6–10 Queen Letizia of Spain
2026 March 28 Charlene, Princess of Monaco
Princess Gabriella of Monaco 		State visit to Monaco[12][13]
2026 March 20 Queen Letizia of Spain Private audience
2026 January 23 Stéphanie, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Private audience[14]
2025 October 27 Queen Mathilde of Belgium Private audience
2025 May 18 Queen Mathilde of Belgium
Queen Letizia of Spain
Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Charlene, Princess of Monaco 		Inauguration of Pope Leo XIV
2024 September 27 Queen Mathilde of Belgium Francis State visit to Belgium
2023 September 15 Queen Mathilde of Belgium Private audience
2018 October 14 Queen Sofía of Spain Canonization of Pope Paul VI
2016 September 4 Queen Sofía of Spain Canonization of Saint Teresa of Calcutta
2016 March 21 Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Private audience[15]
2016 January 18 Charlene, Princess of Monaco State visit to the Vatican
2015 March 9 Queen Mathilde of Belgium Private audience
2014 June 30 Queen Letizia of Spain State visit to the Vatican
2014 April 27 Queen Paola of Belgium
Queen Sofía of Spain
Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg 		Canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II
2013 March 19 Queen Paola of Belgium
Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg 		Inaugural Mass of Pope Francis
2013 January 12 Charlene, Princess of Monaco Benedict XVI Private audience
2011 May 1 Queen Paola of Belgium
Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg 		Beatification of Pope John Paul II
2009 October 10 Queen Paola of Belgium Private audience
2006 May 8 Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Private audience
2005 April 24 Queen Sofía of Spain
Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg 		Inaugural Mass of Pope Benedict XVI
2004 October 3 Queen Fabiola of Belgium John Paul II Beatification of Charles I of Austria
2003 May 18 Marina, Princess of Naples Birthday of Pope John Paul II
2003 March 23 Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg 		Private audience
1998 May 15 Queen Paola of Belgium Private audience
1981 April 30 Queen Sofía of Spain Private audience
1978 October 22 Josephine Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Queen Sofía of Spain 		Inaugural Mass of Pope John Paul II
1978 September 3 Fabiola, Queen of the Belgians
Queen Sofía of Spain
Josephine Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg 		John Paul I Inaugural Mass of Pope John Paul I
1977 February 10 Queen Sofía of Spain Paul VI Private audience
1965 May 6 Josephine Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Private audience
1961 June 9 Fabiola, Queen of the Belgians John XXIII Private audience[16]
1939 December 28 Queen Elena of Italy
Marie-José, Princess of Piedmont 		Pius XII Papal visit to the Quirinal Palace[17]
1939 January 23 Princess Maria Francesca of Savoy Pius XI Private audience after wedding
1935 March 4 Emanuela de Borbón, Duchess of Anjou and Segovia Private audience after wedding
1930 January 8 Marie-José, Princess of Piedmont Private audience after wedding
1929 December 28 Princess Adelaide of Savoy Private audience[18]
1929 December 7 Princess Giovanna of Savoy
Princess Maria Francesca of Savoy 		Private audience[19]
1929 December 5 Queen Elena of Italy
Princess Hélène of Orléans
Elisabeth, Queen of Belgium
Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies 		Private audience after signing of the Lateran Treaty[20]
1923 November 19 Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain Private audience[21]

References

  1. Back to citation James-Charles Noonan, Jr., The Church Visible: The Ceremonial Life and Protocol of the Roman Catholic Church (New York: Viking, 1996), 411.
  2. Back to citation George Seldes, The Vatican: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1934), 125.
  3. Back to citation Fabio Cassani Pironti, Ordini in ordine: manuale d'uso decorazioni per il corpo diplomatico accreditato presso la Santa Sede, il Sovrano militare Ordine di Malta ed i rispettivi dignitari (Roma: Laurus Robuffo, 2004), 42 and 87.
  4. Back to citation "Luxarazzi 101: Privilège du Blanc".
  5. Back to citation "Only 7 Women in the World Can Wear White to Officially Meet the Pope | Articles". 21 August 2017.
  6. Back to citation Rüb, Matthias (2025-05-19). "Amtseinführung von Papst Leo XIV.: Vier Frauen in Weiß". FAZ.net (in German). Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  7. Back to citation "Marina in San Pietro con tailleur bianco". Corriere della Sera. 19 May 2003. Archived from the original on 2014-01-02. Retrieved 2020-11-29.
  8. Back to citation https://aleteia.org/2025/05/19/the-queens-who-used-the-privilege-of-white-at-popes-mass/
  9. Back to citation Ledbetter, Carly (2017-05-24). "Here's Why Melania Trump Wore Black To Meet The Pope". HuffPost. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  10. Back to citation Barcelona, Ainhoa (2016-01-18). "Princess Charlene of Monaco is a vision in white as she meets the Pope". HELLO!. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  11. Back to citation Nicolás, Araceli (2026-06-06). "El vestido blanco 'made in Spain' de la Reina Letizia para recibir al Papa León XIV en Madrid". Diario ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-06-08; "La reina Letizia vuelve acertar con el 'privilegio del blanco' esta vez emulando en Cibeles uno de los looks más aplaudidos de Kate Middleton". ¡HOLA! (in Spanish). 2026-06-07. Retrieved 2026-06-08; "La reina Sofía hace historia ante León XIV: recupera el 'privilegio del blanco' y es la primera en lucirlo con pantalones". ¡HOLA! (in Spanish). 2026-06-08. Retrieved 2026-06-08; Ortiz, María I. (2026-06-10). "La Reina Letizia vuelve a hacer uso del 'privilegio del blanco' en Barcelona con un vestido que ya llevó con el Papa León XIV". Diario ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  12. Back to citation Vatican News (2026-03-28). HIGHLIGHTS - Welcome Ceremony and Courtesy Visit to H.S.H. Prince of Monaco, 28.03.2026 Pope Leo XIV. Retrieved 2026-07-29 – via YouTube.
  13. Back to citation Alexandra (2026-03-28). "Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene Welcome Pope Leo XIV to Monaco: Historic Apostolic Visit Marks New Chapter for the Principality". The Royal Correspondent. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
  14. Back to citation Castellano Lubov, Deborah (23 January 2026). "Pope Leo XIV receives Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg". Vatican News. Vatican City. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  15. Back to citation "Pope Francis receives Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg". news.va. Archived from the original on 5 July 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  16. Back to citation "Privilege for Fabiola", New York Times (June 10, 1961), 10.
  17. Back to citation "Speeches 1939 - PIUS XII". vatican.va. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  18. Back to citation "Italian Princes See Pope: Duke and Duchess of Genoa Among Seven of House of Savoy Present". The New York Times (published 1929-12-29). 29 December 1929. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. Retrieved 2016-06-08. “Pope Pius received additional Princes of the ruling House of Savoy in audience today. They included the Duke and Duchess of Genoa, the Prince of Udine, the Duke of Pistoia, the Duke of Bergamo, Princess Maria Adelaide and the Duke of Ancona.”
  19. Back to citation "Prince and Sisters Pay Visit to Pope", New York Times (December 8, 1929), 5.
  20. Back to citation "Italy's Sovereigns Make First Visit to Pope", New York Times (December 6, 1929), 1.
  21. Back to citation "Alfonso Received in Papal Splendor", New York Times (November 20, 1923), 7.
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